Maybe It’s Better That I’m Clueless
Since the move every day on the bus has been a nearly blog-worthy event. Up until recently it was entirely negative though and I think there’s been entirely too much of that lately. This however seemed sufficiently interesting to share.
A couple stops along the route home, tapping along at my blog as usual I notice the bus driver yelling at someone. As an attractive woman sits down next to me I turn the volume on my earphones down so I can hear what’s going on. It seems a car parked in a no-stopping zone and blocked the bus in.
“Move your car now or I’ll have no choice but to have it towed immediately, I’m stuck and I have a bus load of people here” yells the bus driver.
The illegal parker says it’s not his car, the bus driver says he needs to move it anyways since he was the one who just parked it. The guy refuses but runs off to get the owner.
Suddenly the woman next to me starts talking to me, despite my earphones and PDA both clearly visible. Thinking the situation a bit volatile I take off my ear buds to hear her better, an ally might be a good idea. As we’re chatting about the goings on a guy on the bus stands up and says “there’s enough of us on this bus to move the car ourselves“.
Seemed like justice to me so I stood up when he asked for volunteers but just then the owner of the car came and started swearing profusely at the bus driver.
As I sat back down the woman said “that was very brave“.
“Joining an angry mod to show someone who doesn’t think signs or laws apply to him that he’s wrong?” I replied, “I’d hardly call that brave, that’s just going with the flow, and maybe doing what’s right…or stupid”
“Yea, I guess he’s all talk anyways” she agrees, “does he really think swearing is going to make anything better?”
The idiot finally moves his car and the woman pulls the next stop cord.
“Well at least you got some entertainment for your brief commute” I say and we get to talking about transit and I tell her where I live and my recent travel woes. I mention how I don’t like transferring buses at Main and Hastings. She recommends I consider transferring to the #20 bus at Commercial, I tell her I’ll have to check that out sometime but if all the normal people were to completely avoid that area that would probably just make the area worse.
The bus arrives at the next stop, I wish her an uneventful trip home. She gives me an odd look as she gets off the bus. Almost…wistful.
Wistful?
Then, just like in The Usual Suspects, it all dawns on me…
I look up, we’re stopped at Commercial.
She’s getting on a #20.
The #20 goes nowhere near my house.
The whole suggestion was a ruse to continue our conversation.
A conversation she started, against all logic.
Were I single I would have been quite upset at this after-the-fact, dumb-as -a-post, clueless revelation but I suppose it’s better this way. Saves me from an awkward explanation at least.
